Arum Lilly Bouquet
Julie Haddrick 2005
Hand
dyed, painted & printed fabric: machine pieced and quilted
Stained glass applique technique
Arum Lillies, also known as ‘Calla Lillies’ are dormant in summer, and appear in our gardens’ wet spots, drains and at the side of the road in autumn. Their showy flowers open in late winter, to provide elegant cut flowers and glossy green leaves for indoor displays. A wonderfully reliable and sturdy garden plant, it used to be known as ‘Lords and Ladies’. An old Chinese proverb says “ When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one and a Lilly with the other” This wisdom perhaps is relevant today in our ever busy, often commercialized lives. In the Victorian era, when flowers were used symbolically to express emotions and hidden meaning, the Arum Lilly signified “Ardour.” Whatever the meaning that the common Lilly has held, it exists fondly in most peoples’ heart as an old fashioned, easy growing, beautiful rambling plant.